The Fate of Strangers
by Stuck in Limbo
Summary: One of Princess Moana's servants falls in love with a human who's part of the war in Spain and he likes her too. They meet at a well that connects the two worlds together to talk to each other and one night, the servant girl tries to go to the human world
1. Nameless

The Fate of Strangers

Chapter 1- Nameless

The girl sat on the well, watching her legs dangle over the water. They swayed back and forth, back and forth, going to the constant beating of her heart. _Bud-dump bud-dump._ As if maybe she could create life if she tried hard enough just by swinging her legs. But under her, the water was still-peaceful and cool in the midst of this chaos. If only life were really like this, she thought. If only the only thing we had to do was to just be and float through fate like leaves. But she knew that was asking too much-it's like asking the sky to turn blue because blue's your favorite color. You hope and pray to all the gods that tomorrow's skies will be dyed, but when you look up in the morning, the sky will still be there the way others know it, still gold and yellow and pale orange the way it always is. A stupid, impossible thing to ask for, but knowing this makes you want it even more.

Suddenly, she heard someone coming up behind her, felt their footsteps coming closer. "I don't mean to be rude," the girl said as she swung her legs over the well's edge and turned to look at the trespasser. "but I want t-" she stopped mid sentence and stared. Standing before her was Princess Moana, the lost princess of the Underground Kingdom who had just returned to them the day before. The girl had just been appointed her servant that morning. "P-princesa! I-I didn't know you were b-behind me!" She was stuttering as she hurried off the well, almost falling as she bowed into a curtsy. But the princess only smiled and giggled under her breath, incase her servant thought it was rude. "It's still strange, how everyone calls me Princesa or Moana instead of the name my mother gave me. But I guess I just have to get used to that, don't I?" The girl forgot her manners for a second and looked up at the princess. Her face was still smiling like the way only children do(She _is _just a child, the girl thought, even if she's been gone for so long.) without embarrassment or a hidden meaning. She couldn't stop herself from smiling back. If only everyone could smile that way . . . "You don't have to curtsy for me.' Her voice interrupted her thoughts. "That's another thing that feels strange, but unlike names, that's something I can actually control. Anyway, I've been looking for you since this morning." The princess's smile faded into curiosity. "Everything's been so hectic lately and the meeting today ended so quickly, that I almost forgot to ask you what your name was. I mean, we should know each other's names if we're going to be spending time together, right? But then, I guess you already know mine."

The girl looked back down at the beaten ground. Though the princess had picked up her smile again, the girl's was lost without any hope of finding it. A name, she thought. Why does she ask me for the one thing I can't give her? The one thing I couldn't find in those long memories that seem to be stuck together in a picture book. The one missing page that could make it all make sense, or the one page that makes the rest of the story meaningless stuck in between the folds. The thing I can't remember. She looks up at the princess with so many names and back down at herself who had none. 

"I'm sorry princesa, but I cannot tell you something I don't know." Her voice was a quiver that the wind blowing around them distorted and ripped apart into something unrecognizable. "My mother gave me one, I do know that, but what was, I cannot tell you or myself. I'm sorry."

She knew this had to be it. The princess will be mad at her and will want to replace her with someone who could answer such a simple question as "What's your name?" For some reason, this made the girl's heart want to break. In the short time they had talked both this day and the day before, the girl had come to love Princess Moana like a sister. The thought that these strangely comforting smiles and care free moments would end before they really had a chance to begin made her sick to her stomach.

Moana didn't speak for a long time, but when she did, it was nothing like the girl had expected. "Then why don't you make one?" The girl's heart almost stopped. Was she serious? Was this all she had to say? Of course she had tried to pick a name, but she just couldn't stick to one. One day, she'd ask her master to call her Naomi and the next day to call her Marisol and so on until he finally fired her for all of this "nonsense." She had come here to the well crying the day she met him . . . "I can't. I've already tried to find a name for myself, but I only made more confusion. Can't you name me? My other masters have, but I never liked any of them well enough to keep since the names still reminded me of them." The princess sat on the ground next to her servant and began to think. "Well . . . . how about. . . ." The princess only frowned and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, her eyes suddenly snapped open and the familiar smile crossed her face "What about Estrella?" The girl smiled too at the name. It had been her mother's name when she was a girl but had been discarded when she ran away from her family. "Estrella." She tasted it on her tongue and tossed it into the air. "I love it. Thank you, princesa."

Moana got up to leave, gathering her skirts off the ground. "I hope you're not just saying that because I'm a princess, or we'll never get along. And you don't have to call me princesa like everyone else does-Moana will do much better." She began to walk off towards the castle but when she didn't hear footsteps behind her, she turned back around. The girl-Estralla now-was sitting in the same place by the well, her feet hanging over its edge while she looked down into the watery abyss. "Um . . .Estralla, are you coming?" the girl looked back up at her and smiled as she nodded her head. "Yes pri-Moana. I'm coming. I just need to . . . _see_ something. I'll come when I'm done." Moana just shrugged and walked off. Whatever it is, I hope it doesn't take too long, she thought. Otherwise, Father will think that she's trying to ignore me. Behind her, the girl was staring into the water again. Waiting. Please come, she thought. Please, please come. She knew that if he didn't come, something bad had happened to him and she hoped with all her heart that he would come. Please. Suddenly, the water quivered under her feet and changed colors. And just like that, there he was. Her prince.

This is my first story so please don't flame. If you do, I'll get my vicious yorkie to come after you. He knows where you live.


	2. Statues

THANK GOD! I finally finished this chapter! It's a miracle! Someone needs to throw a party in my honor as hard I worked! But R&R-ing will have to do since I don't actually know who's reading this. But if you still wanna throw a party for me, no one's stopping you . . . ;)

Chapter 2-Statues

Soldiers ran out of the woods like animals in a stampede as the lieutenant blew his whistle. They were practically running over each other as they scrambled into place, clawing their way through the dust just to find their way. The captain had to shield his eyes to keep out the dirt whipped up by the chaos. The lieutenant put a kerchief to his lips. But then, everything seemed to stop. All the chaos, the dirt, the dust had settled, almost collapsing in on itself. And standing there, lined up as if they had always been that way were the soldiers. Standing straight, staring ahead into the nothingness, they seemed like an army of statues. Nothing out of place. Nothing standing out. Because being human in this statue army was unforgivable. Because being anything but a statue made you the outcast.

Captain Alverez walked down the long line and stared into each set of eyes as he went. No one dared to look him back in the eyes, to show any sign of life on their faces. He smiled, knowing that their fear for him was as hot and restless as the hate he felt for those bastards hiding out in the woods. If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't have to be wasting his time training these idiots to be warriors. If it wasn't for them, he could be out there fighting the real thing; instead he was decaying out here in these woods where no real life remained. He had once been so high in is position and now he could feel all the power he once held, all the contempt his name once brought, reduced to taking back a fort with a boat load of untrained soldiers. And all because of this damn rebellion!

He gripped his gun hard in his hand. Breath. Don't let them know what you're thinking. Just because they're cadets doesn't mean that they can't read your face. He hadn't meant to get angry, didn't even know when his forehead began to crease. He was sure that his face was plastered with frustration of his fate and he tried to mop it up with utter blankness. It was still a strange thing to have on his face; it felt strange and unfamiliar to him. But this nothingness, this lack of all feeling was better than anything at all.

Suddenly, the lieutenant touched his sleeve. "Capitan . . . ." he began. He looked down at him, his squat figure, his glassy stare, his drooping moustache, and wondered how he had gotten stuck with him as a lieutenant.

"Yes?" he sighed , but he only pointed to an empty space at the very end of the line and then looked back at his clipboard. When the captain didn't say anything, he pointed to the empty space, saying "The Lewis boy sir. He's missing again."

But as he uttered these words, a body emerged from the woods. It was a dark blue thing, crashing through the woods on clumsy feet. He was trying to hurry, trying so hard not to be noticed, but as he ran, he could feel so many sets of eyes on his back and knew that he was too late. But he still kept running as if nothing was wrong with what he was doing. It's not like this was his first time being late. He looked up and accidently caught the captain's eyes and instantly looked back down. The captain looked like he would take out his gun and shoot him right there.

Adan walked to his place in line with silent footsteps, hoping that no one would notice the blush spreading across his face. They did-of course-but no one wanted to beat Captain Alverez to the punch and stayed silent. He was in position now, gun resting on his side, eyes straight ahead of him, while all the while, the captain's eyes bored into him like a drill. Adan's lungs seemed broken. He couldn't breathe.

"How nice of you to join us, Lewis," the lieutenant sneered, but the captain held up a hand and he was silenced. This was his game.

"Welcome back, cadet." The calmness in his voice scared Adan more than his anger and he soon found himself staring back down at the ground.

"Isn't it nice that you could grace us with your presence today? And with such a busy schedule- how could you ever possibly manage to squeeze us in? But, since you're here, do you mind telling us what the hell you were doing when my assistant blew the whistle? Come on Lewis. You can tell us." The last part came out through clenched teeth.

He didn't answer. Why were they calling him Lewis? His name was Adan and the last time he checked, no one else here was named Lewis. And yet, it seemed so familiar . . . . . Then, he remembered. He _was_ Lewis now. Adan no longer exits. Only Lewis. Lewis, Lewis, Lewis. Why couldn't he ever seem to remember that whenever he came back from the well?

"Answer me boy!" Suddenly, he was on the ground, unconsciously feeling his face. He didn't need to be told that there was now a bright red handprint stamped to his cheek. The captain picked him up by his jacket and slapped him hard across the face again. And again. And again. Over and over, until he grew tired and dropped him to the ground.

"You little son of a bitch! You think that this is some game you don't have to take seriously? You think that you can just do whatever the hell you want without getting noticed? That nothing matters but you? Well, I'll show you how wrong you are! Cause you're in my world now, and if you care about you're stupid little ass, then you'll do as I say!"

He spat in his direction, muttered some words to the lieutenant, and they and the rest of the cadets began walking off, leaving Adan alone by the woods. He crawled over on his back and sighed. He wanted to kill him so badly. So horribly badly. He could take him on and he knew it. But he had to be patient. Because he couldn't handle all of them alone. Because he had a mom and a dad and a little brother that he had begged to let him do this. Because Mercedes told him to wait, and aren't people supposed to listen to their mothers? Because everything was riding on this.

He opened his eyes and stared up at the sky. It was blue. Bluer than anything he had seen before. And he couldn't stop himself from smiling thinking that was why blue was his favorite color.


	3. Memories Forgotten

Don't be afraid to give me a review! People think that thirteen year olds need guidance( ……….?) So come on! I know that there's more than three people reading this! Show me the reviews! (Flames don't count. DO YOU HEAR ME? I DON'T FLAME SO DON'T FLAME ME!) P.S-I'm not so proud of this chapter. . . sorry if it came out oober crappy. My mind's been on other things.

Chapter 3-Memories forgotten

_Where am I? What is this place? Have I been here before? It feels so familiar and yet why can't I remember anything about it? Why am I running?_

_This place . . . . there are so many trees! I'm turning and turning around but everywhere I look there is another one to block my path. Their branches grab at my arms and legs and come away bloodstained. I feel so tired; I want to collapse here and never wake up but I feel so afraid and I can't get my legs to stop. Words keep flashing through my head and fold in on each other until I can barely understand what I'm saying._

_Pleasedon't letmedieIdon'twanttodiepleasedon'tletmedie! My heart is slamming against the insides of my chest like a crazed prisoner and I'm so afraid. So unbearably afraid._

_But what am I so afraid of?_

_I'm looking for something. I have to find it! But where is it? It must be here! It has to be! My breathing is growing shallower and shallower by the second and the thought that I won't be able to find it makes me dizzy with fear. But the running doesn't cease; instead I'm going faster than before. I have to find it!_

_Behind me, I can hear people shouting. Dogs are barking. Torches are burning. Why can't they just leave me alone? I've done nothing to hurt them! Why can't they just leave me alone? They call me a witch and yet what have I done to prove that? If only that servant hadn't seen me come out of the labyrinth. It's all his fault! I only wanted to see what humans were like . . . . _

_There it is! The labyrinth! It feels so far away, but I have to reach it! I must! I have to get home! When I get home, I can close my eyes and pretend that this is all a bad dream. I'll get in trouble. I'll be punished. And yet I'd be home, safe and sound, away from these horrible humans._

_I trip. I see it like in a dream. It feels like I'm watching myself fall. I'm completely conscious, and in my head, I think yes. I'm falling. Nothing big. Haven't I fallen before? But I fall to the ground and reality crashes in. No! I can't have fallen! I have to get up! But when I try to pull myself up, I can't. Blood is rushing down my legs like a waterfall in a storm and rocks and sticks are breaking through the skin. I have to get up but I can't! I have to escape! I have to get home! The labyrinth is still so far away! I dig my nails into the ground and try to crawl away._

_But then I see the shadows. Great big shadows dancing in front of me, devouring everything in its darkness. No! They couldn't of caught up with me so quickly! I've been running and running all this time! How could they have only been a few steps away?! Someone picks me up by the back of my dress. No! I don't want to die! I still have to get home! No! No!_

"Princess Moana! Wake up!" Moana's eyes flew open and instead of torch fires and distorted faces, she saw the faun and her mother standing above her. Their faces were covered in fear and she couldn't stop from asking herself _Fear of what? _She blinked a few times hoping that the last traces of her nightmare would fade into the thick nothingness she felt with most dreams. They didn't.

"W-where am I?"

"In your room sweetie." Her mother's face was creased with worry.

"You were having a nightmare."

She slowly began to sit up in bedand rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. A nightmare? It couldn't be! It had felt so real, so horribly real. As if she was actually running. As if she was really about to die. As if she was reliving a memory . . .

"Princesa." The faun's voice made her look up at him. He looked worse than her mother. His pale ancient face seemed to have grown a hundred years older and the princess wondered how old he 

really was. All the old worries and grief of the past were plastered onto his face; his mouth was set in a permanent frown.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"Are you all right?"

"Of course I am. It was only a dream, right? I'm perfectly fine." They still looked worried, so to try and prove it, she picked up her clock and pretended to be in a hurry.

"Oh God! I'm already late for breakfast!" But she didn't know if she was trying to calm them down or herself.

"Princesa, can you please tell us what you were like in the human world?" A little girl was looking up at Moana with huge brown eyes. They and a few other of the servant's children were out in the garden. She loved playing with them and treated them like the little brother who she had loved so much in the human world. She frowned, thinking that he had probably already forgotten her.

"Well, to be honest there's not really much about me that's changed," she said. "The only real difference is that my name is different."

"What was it?" asked a little chubby boy next to her.

"It was . . . " She stopped. What _had_ her name been? She frowned and held her chin with her hand, thinking. It had started with an o, hadn't it? Was it Odelia? Orilia? Yes, it sounded something like that . . . . . . Why couldn't she remember what it was? It used to be her own name!

"It was . . . . .different," she whispered. What was wrong with her?


End file.
